Reio's Knights
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Byakuya is given a secret mission as the last request of the dead king. But what will he do when the king's wish requires him to become a criminal? Even worse, it requires the help of the most wicked shinigami ever born…yaoi, mpreg Aizen/Byakuya, Uryu/Tetsuya, Kisuke/Ichigo, Grimmjow/Renji
1. Into the Darkness

**Reio's Knights**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**(Byakuya is given a secret mission as the last request of the dead king. But what will he do when the king's wish requires him to become a criminal? Even worse, it requires the help of the most wicked shinigami ever born…yaoi, mpreg Aizen/Byakuya, Uryu/Tetsuya, Kisuke/**

**Ichigo)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Into the Darkness**

_What a torment a little taste of freedom can be._

_I had thought nothing of sitting in the darkness for a little while, yes, unable to move, and contemplating my plans for the day of my release. What does a hundred years matter, or a thousand, or a hundred thousand, when time alone can't kill you?_

_When nothing can kill you?_

_If they tore out my heart, it would only grow back, just the same as it was before. A slash heals in moments. Illness dies before it can penetrate my cells. _

_I was always powerful, but before, I did fear death. Don't we all, when death can steal everything away? That fear drove me to make the hogyoku. _

_The hogyoku._

_A talisman crafted from death, built by sacrificing thousands of lives…to make sure its master's life would never end. You can't buy immortality cheaply. Everything exists in a balance, right? So, naturally, if one soul is to defy death, then other lives will be the price. The debt, after all, must be paid. And it was easy for me not to care about the other lives I sacrificed to the orb. None of them mattered if I could end death. I see now that it wasn't ever me cheating death. Either way, death claimed lives…just not mine. We are content to sit and stare at each other, death and me…day in, day out, to spend our time close to each other, but never touching. And we both know that we will be there forever. I am surprised at the little feeling of nostalgia that thought gives me._

_Why?_

_Don't we all strive to avoid death? Wouldn't we all desire a world without it? I used to think so. Until I cut the bonds of death and freed myself, I desired an end of death. Then, I realized that when I let go of death's hand, I lost something more than the ability of breathing that could be stilled or a beating heart that could be stopped. My followers were inspired by my fearlessness. But who needs courage when one is never risking his life? My followers were awed by my ambitions. But what good are hopes when one can never be stopped in pursuing them? So yes, it is easy to sit in the darkness, unable to move, only able to think. It is quiet and there is no pain. Just an emptiness I don't quite understand. What difference if the chair I sit on is in the dark or in the heavens? I am not a part of this world anymore and I can't leave it._

_The irony._

A soft footstep brought the restrained criminal out of his thoughts and he listened as the person slowly moved towards him.

_Ah, a visitor._

_Who is this?_

The steps continued in an unhurried fashion, lacking the menacing feel of an enemy, but showing no signs of any hesitation. Aizen breathed slowly, straining for some sense of the person.

_Powerful…a taicho._

_Precise and methodical._

_This person's heart is not riled by my presence, and whoever it is, has no fear of being discovered here, so must have permission to enter._

_Oh, of course. _

_Byakuya._

"Greetings, Kuchiki Taicho. It's been a while since we talked."

The footsteps slowed, then came to a stop in front of him.

"I mean, we did see each other briefly before, but there wasn't much time for talking while the world was coming down around our ears, was there?"

"Not that it would matter much to you if the world did end," Byakuya said softly.

"But floating around in dead space would be quite boring too."

_His injuries have been healed._

_He doesn't smile._

"Will you uncover my eyes, so that I can look at you?"

Byakuya said nothing in reply, but a moment later, the bonds on Aizen's eyes loosened and fell away. He blinked slowly in the soft kido light, focusing on the Kuchiki leader's solemn face and lovely dark eyes that looked back at him, revealing nothing of the man's intent.

Then, he noticed the kimono.

"You are dressed for celebration?" he inquired, admiring the fine, dark navy cloth and the pretty fall of pink and red petals that spread over one slender shoulder and down the noble's strong back.

"Yes."

Aizen smiled under his bonds.

"You were never one to waste words," he mused, "so I will ask. What are you celebrating, Byakuya?"

Aizen made a sound of surprise as the bindings on his face and hands suddenly loosened and fell away. Byakuya moved forward, one hand sliding into his breast pocket and removing a bottle of fine sake. He moved a small table so that it was between them, then sat down in a chair opposite him.

"It is your birthday, is it not?" Byakuya asked.

"It is," Aizen confirmed, "But you did not seem interested in celebrating with me in the last two years while I have been here. The only words I heard you speak while I was outside were about how it was an insult to all of you that I was brought out of Muken to help you fight Ywach."

"It was an insult," Byakuya said calmly, "but it was also necessary. And seeing you fight to protect Soul Society brought me to an understanding I did not have before."

"What was that?" Aizen asked, eyeing the noble curiously.

Byakuya gave no answer at first, but only laid out two small sake glasses and poured the sake. Aizen's smile warmed as he picked up his cup and raised it in Byakuya's direction, waiting for the noble to say something. Byakuya's face remained calm and unrevealing as he poured his own drink, then touched his cup to Aizen's.

"Will you drink to the return of peace to our home?" the noble asked quietly, "Despite the damage that is still being repaired and the occasional clashes with the retreating enemies, at least the war has ended and there are survivors to carry on."

Aizen gave him a soft smirk.

"Shouldn't you be thanking Kurosaki Ichigo for that?" he asked, "Or maybe that quincy boy who gave him the opportunity to kill Ywach?"

"I assure you that the other heroes who fought to protect Soul Society have all received the gratitude they deserve. Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends have returned home. But you…"

Aizen chuckled softly.

"What about me?" he asked, "What are you trying to say, Byakuya? I do appreciate the sake and the good company, but why bother? I am not suffering. I am in no pain."

"But you are," Byakuya said softly, warming his mouth and throat with a sip of the spirits he held.

"Don't waste your time worrying about me," Aizen chided him, "I am sure that the king's highest ranked servant has much more important things to do, ne?"

Aizen spotted it then, that moment…a flash of pain in the handsome grey eyes, a very slight twitching of his lips and a faint tightening of his fingers around the sake glass as he raised it and emptied it, then set the glass down.

"What was it you said before?" Byakuya mused, "The Seireitei monitors caught it clearly. My mind was fuzzy because of the sword that had just torn out my heart. But, I was sure you said that _no one stands at the top…not you, not me, not even the gods_. Those were your words, were they not?"

"They were," Aizen confirmed, "You…thought that I was speaking metaphorically?"

"Would that not be the expected response? You knew you were being misunderstood by the innocent and only understood by the ones who knew."

Aizen's eyes narrowed.

"Aren't you taking chances speaking to me like that?" he asked, "And tell me, Byakuya, which were you? Were you one of the innocent ones or one of the ones who knew?"

"You know you do not need to ask that question," Byakuya sighed, "I am a taicho. Of course I knew."

"And it didn't bother you at all that the king you swore fealty to, the one you served every day, and the one you almost died for…that king was a comatose man missing parts of his body? You didn't care that he had been an enemy a thousand years before? You didn't care about the lie that you let everyone else around you believe?"

Aizen paused, watching as Byakuya slowly blinked and he took a shakier breath.

"How much do you think I care?" Byakuya asked in a softer voice, "What was the alternative? I am a powerful man, but I am not a god. Even if I wanted to, I could not, as you said, _fill that vacancy in the heavens_. That being so, who am I to decide something like that? I have no choice but to defend Soul Society as best I can. And for the ones who cannot fight as I can, I want peace."

"Even if that peace is a lie?"

"You are a fine one to speak to me of lies, Aizen Sosuke," Byakuya said, frowning, everything you ever were to us was a lie."

"Yes."

"Everything except one thing."

Aizen gave him a look of surprise. Byakuya stood and set the table aside, then moved his chair closer to Aizen's.

"You do know that within this range, I can kill you with just my reiatsu," Aizen warned him.

"Yes," Byakuya answered calmly, "you are free to do that, of course. But aren't you the slightest bit interested in what I was saying? Do you think you can wait to kill me until after I say it?"

Aizen laughed softly.

"I should kill you for having such a careless attitude when it comes to your own life, or for being so confident while this close to me, but…I confess, I am interested. Tell me, then. What wasn't a lie? What did I tell you that rings true?"

"You want Soul Society to survive," Byakuya answered.

Aizen arched a curious eyebrow.

"Is that so?" he mused, blinking slowly, "But of course, you're right. My plans, unlike Ywach's, never included destroying the worlds, just leading them."

Byakuya nodded.

"As much as you didn't mind whether the rest of us lived or died, you did not imagine destroying our worlds and starting over. And as I was lying comatose, following my defeat by the quincy, As Nodt, it occurred to me that I was uncertain what a world led by you would look like."

Aizen gave him a look of more intense curiosity.

"You want to know what Soul Society would be like…?"

"With you as its king," Byakuya finished.

Aizen paused, studying his former colleague's comely face closely.

"Why? After all, I am sure that you didn't come here to let me go, yourself."

"I did not," Byakuya agreed.

"Then, why are you here, asking me to show you the world as it would be with me as Soul King? You know very well that I failed to become king. I was defeated by Ichigo and sealed away in here. I am immortal, but I am no one's god, Byakuya."

Byakuya's eyes lowered in thought for a moment, then rose again.

"Will you show me?"

"If I do, will you tell me why you asked?"

Byakuya nodded.

"I will tell you after you show me."

"Well, I'm not sure why someone like you would want to know, but…fine. Come closer. I can radiate reiatsu around me within a close radius, but things that require a steadier hand, I can only do while touching you."

Byakuya nodded more tentatively, pausing and taking a steadying breath before moving closer. He paused in front of the still bound prisoner, then slowly extended a hand, bringing to rest lightly on Aizen's bared hand. The former taicho looked up at him appreciatively.

"You are truly courageous to dare to touch me," he commented, "even though you've been invited. And I have to admit, you are the first to have physical contact with me since I fought Ichigo. Even when Kisuke's seal bound me, no one touched me directly. And even after the more recent battle with Ywach, the ones who lifted my unconscious body did not touch me directly."

Aizen's eyes looked more deeply into Byakuya's, drawn in further by the mingled presences of slight apprehension that was tempered with a surprising measure of hopefulness.

"Your hand is warm," he commented, "Are you trembling?"

"Would it not be completely appropriate for a mortal to tremble in the mere presence of a god, and even more so while touching one?"

Aizen's smile warmed.

"True. But, be glad, Byakuya. You've flattered me, and you've intrigued me so that I have no interest in killing you. I appreciate, as I said, the comfort of your presence, the fine sake and the birthday wishes. I am happy to reward you with the vision you've requested. Relax now and look back at me. You should begin to register the vision in a moment. Imagine anything you wish and you will feel like you are there."

Byakuya's dark eyes locked on Aizen's, and the former taicho felt a little twinge of honest sympathy at the weariness just beneath the calm surface.

_The war weighs heavily on you._

_No, not just the war, but your whole life. It is sad, isn't it? There's so little left of Kuchiki Soujun's fearless and wild little boy._

He felt Byakuya flinch as the vision in front of him formed, and he found himself returned to his youth.

Byakuya stood in the Kuchiki gardens, blinking as it registered suddenly that his body had changed. He glanced down at his smaller, thinner form and the wooden practice sword in his hand.

"This isn't what I…" he began, only to stop as a vicious flash step sounded and the hair tie was yanked out of his hair, "Damn you, demon cat!"

"Come on, Bya-bo, let's play!" Yoruichi giggled, flash stepping away.

"I'm the Kuchiki heir!" Byakuya snapped furiously, "I don't have time to play games with some stupid girl!"

He tensed, preparing to give chase, then stopped himself, just watching as she ran away. His heart pounded strangely and he stiffened as a thought occurred to him.

_This…was it before?_

He hardly dared to turn to face the walkway and his heart skipped a beat at even the thought of who he might see.

"Byakuya, segare, I am home."

Byakuya froze.

"This is not what I asked you to…!" he began to object.

_But it is what you wanted…in you heart_, Aizen's voice whispered in his mind, _To one who needs to be reminded about what really matters, more than fealty to kings and royal dictates, I heard what your heart desired most and brought you here. It…was his birthday as well a few days ago, wasn't it?_

Byakuya swallowed hard and turned to face his father.

_Remember, here you are young and you are with someone who understands. It's fine for you to cry, Byakuya._

"Why are you crying, segare?" Soujun asked, moving closer.

Byakuya reeled as he caught his father's gentle scent and felt warm arms embrace him.

"I wasn't gone for so long. And we have a whole day to spend together before I go back."

Byakuya burrowed deeply into his father's shoulder

"Sorry, Father," he apologized, "I just…wasn't expecting you."

"Ah, well, what would you like to do?" Soujun asked, his pretty blue-violet eyes looking down into his son's darker ones.

Byakuya broke away from his shoulder, rubbing his eyes for a moment and smiling.

"Could we walk to the waterfall? Could we talk?"

Soujun gave him a stymied look.

"You…just want to talk, Byakuya? No training? No going to Saito's restaurant for his curry? No games?" he asked.

Byakuya shook his head firmly.

"We can do those things later, if you want," he answered, "but I have something to ask you."

"Hmm, this sounds serious," Soujun said, blinking in surprise as his son's hand slid into his.

He fell in with Byakuya, surprised that his usually energetic son remained quiet and solemn at his side while they walked through the gardens.

"Can you tell me the truth about something?" Byakuya asked.

"The truth about what?" Soujun asked curiously.

"I've…learned something," Byakuya confessed his youthful face blushing, "I know that I'm not supposed to know, but…I do, and I don't know to do about it, Father."

Soujun gave his hand a little squeeze.

"Whatever it is, it seems to have upset you. Go ahead and ask me. I will answer you honestly," Soujun promised.

"Please, don't ask me how I found out," Byakuya went on, "but…I know about _him_. I know that the king…is…"

Byakuya paused, struggling to find the right words.

"I know something is wrong with him. He…isn't really alive. He is missing parts of his body and, although he can communicate his thoughts, he can't speak."

Soujun's face pale and his looked back at the house and around the gardens, then quietly led Byakuya to a secluded corner.

"I don't know how this came to you," Soujun whispered to him, "but…"

"Please don't lie to me that it isn't true!" Byakuya pleaded in a soft, urgent tone, "Father, I _know_. I know it's true."

Soujun nodded and pulled him close.

"No wonder you were crying," he said, closing his eyes and pressing his cheek to his son's, "I cried when I found out about it too."

"What can we do?" Byakuya asked tentatively, "Why are they lying to everyone?"

Soujun took his son's face in his hands.

"I will tell you, segare," he promised, "but you must promise that you will never tell anyone who is not a taicho that you know this."

"I won't," Byakuya agreed, "But tell me why? Why is it that they are lying? Why do we have to keep it a secret?"

Soujun kissed him on the forehead, then took his hand and led him out of the gardens. They moved along a little trail that led out to a moonlit waterfall that crashed down a great cliff, into a lake that stood beside a wide open meadow. Byakuya sat down beneath a pretty sakura tree, waiting as his father joined him. Soujun took his hands and squeezed them gently.

"You've grown so much. I feel bad that my work takes me away from you. I think I'm going to turn around and you'll be a taicho."

Byakuya gave him a sad smile.

"And then, you won't have to be," Byakuya said, smiling up at him hopefully, "I know you want to retire as soon as you can, so that you can just take care of the archives and the gardens. I promise, I'll become a taicho as soon as I can."

"Oh, don't rush like that," Soujun said, smiling affectionately, "You shouldn't feel burdened. You're only a boy, segare. You shouldn't have so many troubling things to think about."

Byakuya ached to question him further, but he remained silent, just enjoying his father's light touches and close presence.

"You asked me why they lie," Soujun said finally, pulling Byakuya close and dipping his head to breathe in his son's pleasant, sweet scent, "Byakuya, they lie because the truth is too frightening for everyone."

Byakuya gazed into Soujun's eyes in silence.

"You are growing stronger and braver by the moment, but think about how you felt that moment when you knew the king was not really in command."

"I felt terrified," Byakuya confessed, "I know I'm not supposed to get scared, but…"

"Fear is not dishonorable," Soujun said calmly, "Everyone feels fear. I am afraid too. But, I have strength that can help Soul Society. And even though the king is not really leading us, we who are able, can and must maintain and protect our worlds. It is a burden, but we must bear the fear and uncertainty, ourselves, so that everyone else can be free to live in peace."

"But how are we to live in peace?" Byakuya asked, "Is it really kindness to let them know that their world is a breath away from destruction?"

"We are always a breath away from dying, segare," Soujun said sadly, "but it isn't death that we should focus on. It is life, son. We sacrifice our carefree lives so that the people here can live happily. Yet, even though we are burdened, not only with the truth, but with the work of protecting Soul Society, we are not alone. There are others who know and we can share our fears with them. You can always share your fears with me, Byakuya. I am always here."

Byakuya sucked in a pained breath as the vision suddenly ended, and he found himself back in the dimly lit cell in Muken, looking down into Aizen's placid face.

"Why did you do that?" Byakuya asked, "I asked you…"

"I know," Aizen answered quietly, "but that wasn't what was burning most viciously in your mind. I know what brought you here, and I hope that I was able to offer you a bit of peace. Consider it a show of gratitude for the sake and birthday wishes. Is that all you want from me? I can still show you what you requested, if you wish."

Byakuya gazed down where his hand still rested on Aizen's, his heart slowing gradually as the shock of the vision began to fade.

"Will you go for a walk with me in those gardens you showed me?"

"The ones that no longer exist because of the war?" Aizen asked.

"I will restore them, but yes, they are gone," Byakuya answered, "Will you go there with me?"

"If you like," Aizen agreed, "You have, after all, been good company. I do hope you will come and see me again, but I won't ask you to promise."

Byakuya sat down in the chair, facing Aizen's, keeping his hand on the other man's. He felt a little shiver as the darkness of Muken faded away, and the two stood in Kuchiki Manor gardens, looking down into a splashing koi pond.

"This is lovely," Aizen commented, "When I imagine gardens, I think about these, but I don't remember them with nearly the detail you do, Byakuya. Of course, you were there nearly every day, so that makes sense."

The two men turned out of the gardens and began walking down the path that led to the waterfall.

Is that what you do with your time?" Byakuya asked, "Imagine the world outside?"

"What else is there to do?"

"Well, you won't be in Muken forever," Byakuya mused, "You could be planning your next move."

"I think we both know how likely it is that I'll simply be released when my sentence is up. Fear of me will keep me in chains forever. But, I am a dangerous criminal."

"You are dangerous," Byakuya agreed, "but you are also someone who understands what the Gotei 13 and Central 46 struggle with every day."

"Having trouble living with the lies?" Aizen sighed, "Although, I do know it's kinder sometimes not to tell the truth."

"I sometimes wish I was not burdened with it," Byakuya said solemnly, "especially now."

"Oh? What's happening now? What could be worse than a king with no arms and legs…no heart?"

Byakuya closed his eyes against the truth, breathing slowly to regain his poise.

"Go on. I think I know already."

"The king was killed."

"I know."

Byakuya gave him a curious look.

"Why else would you be more burdened than you were before the war?" Aizen reasoned, "The only thing worse than a useless king is a completely empty throne? But, how is the balance of souls being kept then?"

"There is someone on the throne."

"Who?"

Byakuya leaned closer, breathing the truth into his ear in a whisper.

"Ywach."

Aizen's dark eyes narrowed.

"Ywach is dead…Oh, wait, of course. His body radiates tremendous reiatsu. That would be enough to stabilize the worlds. So, we've gone from a minimally functional king to a dead one. Interesting."

"I did not object to placing him there temporarily, but it seems that Central 46 considers the matter resolved."

"Of course they do," Aizen chuckled, shaking his head, "Now, instead of having the occasional interference, they can run things any way they like."

"Ywach's body will last for perhaps a thousand years."

"That's probably longer than you will live," Aizen commented, "Why are you worried?"

"I am worried because I do not just think of the here and now, or during my lifespan. I am a clan leader, I have to care what happens to our family, not just now, but that they have a future!"

"And you think that coming to me will help in some way to make that future?" Aizen asked, coming to a stop as they reached the tree under which Byakuya had sat with his father in his earlier vision.

Byakuya gave him a guarded look.

"I found something while I was in the royal realm," he confessed softly, "It is something that the king willed to me upon his passing. He entrusted it to the Kuchiki archive and I found it when I returned after the war."

Aizen looked back at him silently, his eyes widening as the noble withdrew a large, faceted prism from within his kimono.

"The king's prism," Aizen mused, staring in fascination, "I know the artifact, but…wasn't it missing?"

"It was. However, the truth is that the king placed it in his own body before he was imprisoned and made king. It remained there until he died. Upon his death, it disappeared and reappeared in the archive, as was his wish. You see, the king understood what his death meant. He knew Ywach would kill him, and he told that to the shinigamis so that they wouldn't die. Like you, even though he was once an enemy, he saw the value in our worlds. He also listened to the voices of the past kings and heeded their advice."

"And that was?"

Byakuya paused and took a steadying breath.

"The king…the _true_ king, must be reborn."

"Ah," Aizen said, his brown eyes lighting dangerously, "but why come and tell me? Why not just see to this without the help of a backstabbing traitor?"

Byakuya looked down at the prism he held.

"It was his last order. It was stored in the prism and spoke to me as soon as I found it. You see, Sosuke, the king's desire was to see a true king raised…and the only way to do that is for me to join you in rebellion."


	2. The Secret in my Heart

**Chapter 2: The Secret in my Heart**

"…_the king's desire was to see a true king raised…and the only way for me to do that is for me to join you in rebellion."_

Aizen's brown eyes registered surprise and dark curiosity as Byakuya's words echoed softly in his mind. He blinked slowly, considering, then he smiled at the quietly waiting noble.

"I see why you had me bring us here, into one of my illusions, to talk about this," he chuckled, "Even if you wouldn't be given a death sentence for saying them, I'll bet you couldn't bear to say those words out loud where anyone else could hear them. Am I right?"

"Do not treat this as some kind of joke," Byakuya warned him, "I have spoken to others of this…others who were identified by the prism as those fated to assist us in our efforts. You may be sure that none of them will impede us."

"I see," Aizen mused, reaching up to rub his chin and looking out over the lovely meadow and lake beneath the waterfall, "But, before I can answer you about whether or not I am still interested in rebellion, I need you to tell me just what kind of rebellion you have in mind. From your words, it is not me that you want on the throne. How then, can this be considered _joining me_."

Byakuya nodded in understanding.

"Sousuke," he said solemnly, "your own words before indicated that you did not even want to stand at the top."

"What are you talking about, Byakuya?" Aizen asked, frowning, "The whole point of my war with the shinigamis was to put me on the throne."

"No," Byakuya said firmly, "that may have been your aim, but it was not what was in your heart when you rebelled."

Aizen's lips rose into a sly smirk.

"How would someone like you know what is in anyone's heart, let alone mine?" he asked with an edge of sarcasm, "The only one who is able to read the hearts of others is a god, Byakuya. You are no god. You have no idea what is in my heart…but perhaps we should see what is inside _yours_!"

He was surprised that Byakuya gave no sign of fear at the words and held perfectly still, even as Aizen ended the illusion, returning them to the dark, cold cell within Muken, then plunged his bare hand into the noble's vulnerable chest, seeking his heart. His eyes rounded in shock and he watched in dismay as Byakuya's body took on an eerie blue glow and he felt intense power radiating inside the noble's ruined chest. He withdrew his hand reflexively, watching raptly as the damage to Byakuya's chest slowly undid itself. Byakuya continued to meet his eyes steadily, as though he hadn't noticed the prisoner's blatant attempt to murder him.

"Do you understand?" Byakuya asked quietly, "Only the gods know our hearts, and only the gods can answer our prayers…yours and mine, Sousuke."

"You speak as if you know what my heart wants," Aizen said skeptically, "Do you think that _thing_ I sensed inside you is going to give either one of us what we want?"

Byakuya's dark grey eyes remained fastened on Aizen's.

"I am a noble son, who has sworn fealty to the soul king."

"The king is _dead_, Byakuya!" Aizen hissed furiously, "There is a rotting carcass on the throne and you want to serve _that_?"

"That thing on the throne is not our king," Byakuya said in a low, equally angry voice that Aizen had never heard him use before.

_There are few times when you hear someone speak from the core of their being. That is what Byakuya is doing. His entire heart is bent on this! Why?_

"Our king lives within the prism, as is the wish of the noble servants who have decided they do not want him back! You are angry that there is no god on the throne, so very angry that you sought to make yourself a god to take up that space. Sousuke, you didn't want to be king. And you never would have betrayed us if the noble leaders in Central 46 had not made the decision to stop his reincarnation! You betrayed us because when you looked at what we were responsible for putting and keeping on the throne, you thought there _was_ no king. You saw a travesty! You saw a lie. I know you want an end to the lie, but do you really want to end it by taking on the crown, yourself? Weren't you, just before I arrived, thinking that immortality was a _burden_ to you?"

_The king's prism shared this with you? It sensed my thoughts?_

"Sousuke…"

Aizen answered with a deadly glare, but held back from answering as Byakuya held up a staying hand and continued.

"The lie…the disappointment that you saw was not the true king. The true king is still trapped in the facets of the king's prism. There, he waits and watches. He knows our hearts, Sousuke. That is why he sent me to you!"

Aizen gave him a look of challenge.

"And what if I do not agree to this?" he asked, "What will you do then, Byakuya?"

Byakuya paused, considering his words carefully.

"If I fail in my mission to secure your help in restoring the true king, the price will be my life."

Aizen's eyes darkened.

"The king that you want to revive is going to kill you if you don't revive him?" he asked angrily, "And you say this king would be better than the rotten corpse that, at least, wouldn't take your life? It's better than me? I think you should leave. You only came here out of desperation. The king possessed you and you know the only way out is…"

"The king did not do this intending to harm me," Byakuya corrected him, "If you wish to know, I can explain."

"Well, I am a captive audience, and there doesn't seem to be another way out of here, except to wait out my sentence, so I suppose it's no bother to hear you out. I warn you, though, your reasoning had better be good, or I will just sit back and watch you die."

"Very well," Byakuya agreed, "As you know, the soul king is a god. He is a god who had a desire to create, and in his efforts, he created our worlds and everything in them. To do this, he needed to forge a connection to something that lived. He reached out and captured a handful of radiant reiatsu. He swallowed that reiatsu to give himself a connection with the spirit particles that would make up the worlds, so that he could be a part of them. The king is, and always has been, a pure, transcendent soul, surrounded in spirit particles, a body that can interact with his creations. The science of that should inform you of the need for occasional reincarnation. The core of the soul king is always alive, but he needs a form that lets him interact with the worlds he governs. The rebirth ritual began with the very first member of the Kuchiki family…a man who he made from a sakura tree in his gardens."

Aizen smiled.

"I'd heard that old myth," he admitted, "I thought it must explain the slight scent of sakura that all of your relatives carry. I have noticed that scent appears to be stronger with you."

Byakuya nodded.

"I am in the direct line of descent from Hajime, the king's consort. He too, will be revived with the soul king's ritual."

"Hmm," Aizen mused, looking at the noble with renewed interest, "I see. The king is ever in his lover's heart, ne? You carry Hajime's legacy forward, and it is you who is meant to renew him. But, how then, do I fit into this? I see the symbolism…the king's prism imbedded in the heir of Hajime, but what do you need beyond that?"

Byakuya's dark eyes gazed deeply into his.

"I need the one whose body houses the dead hopes and dreams of souls who have passed before such dreams could be realized."

Aizen's chin dipped slightly and he looked down at the crystal orb that was embedded in his chest.

"I know how the hogyoku was made," Byakuya said quietly, "and who inspired it. I know why it came to be…why _you_ came to be!"

"Do tell me," Aizen said, shaking his head in wonder, "Are you talking about Urahara Kiuske? He did make the first hogyoku."

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, "but he only did that because he was inspired by the soul king."

Aizen's amused smile faded.

"Did you never wonder what made him take the very exact steps he took?" Byakuya asked, "What brought him to those things?"

"His journal states that he saw it in a dream he had. He theorized that the mind works at puzzles while we sleep, and his sleeping mind put the pieces together and gave him the hogyoku."

"That is what he wanted the sages of Central 46 to think," Byakuya said calmly, "Sousuke, Urahara did not have a dream. He was taken into the king's confidence. He may have thought he was dreaming when it happened, but in reality, he traveled to the royal realm and knelt in the presence of the stand-in king, who had the king's prism inside him. He was inspired by the prism to create the hogyoku…the means by which the true king could return."

Aizen gave him a wry smile.

"And I stole that from him."

"Central 46 stole it from him," Byakuya said firmly, "They did not realize what exactly he was creating, but they were unnerved enough that they ordered the information sealed and made an agreement with him not to attempt to continue with that method. But…Kisuke had been warned not to give up the hogyoku he had made. It was needed for the king's revival, so it had to be kept safe. He hid it in a number of places before placing it in Rukia's body. He told Central 46 that there was no way to destroy it…but he was lying."

"There is a way to destroy the hogyoku?" Aizen mused, "Then, why hasn't Kisuke come to me to destroy it, if indeed, he can?"

Kisuke knows that we need the true soul king," Byakuya explained, "And he knows that the only way to achieve the revival of the king, is to help you and me perform the ritual."

"Ah," Aizen mused, smirking slightly, "I suspected something like this. You did ask me if I was musing on immortality being a burden? So, this ritual will require me to sacrifice the hogyoku?"

"Your body has fused with the hogyoku, so you are transcendent. I am not. My body is tasked with carrying the king's prism. It is a transcendent artifact, and it is slowly overwhelming my body. If I am not brought into transcendence, then I will die before the ritual can be completed. This is why I need you. You will be infusing my body with your transcendent reiatsu, and the king's prism will be slowly changing my body so that I can tolerate its presence."

Aizen frowned thoughtfully, looking more closely at Byakuya.

"Why all of the effort? Why can't the prism simply cause your body to evolve?" he asked curiously.

"The king's prism houses the king's core," Byakuya informed him, "Within the hogyoku, lies the particulate matter, the lost hopes and dreams of the dead, the particles that allow the king's power to connect with his creations. Although the prism could enter my body because I was the heir to its passage, I cannot live with it inside me, not unless the bearer of the hogyoku assists me. Together, you and I can revive the rightful king."

"But, if I do not help you, then eventually, the transcendent power will cause your body to fade. But, tell me, what will happen to the king's prism then?"

Byakuya sighed.

To understand the answer to that, you need to understand something about the leader of the Kuchiki clan and his or her connection to the family archive. We say that, although the entrance to the archive exists in Soul Society, in the heart of the Kuchiki main residence, the archive, itself, does not exist in Soul Society. For any but a member of the royal family or the leader of the Kuchiki family to enter the archive, the leader must grant the person a token or permission. The reason that step is taken, is because…the archive is actually housed within the heart of the Kuchiki leader. Anyone entering the archive is entering my soul. Nothing can be taken out of the archive without my permission. And when I die, the archive disappears from my dead heart and is reborn inside the next leader."

"That presents a problem," Aizen realized, "If the leader who follows you does not share your interest in reviving the king…"

"That leader will die within a relatively short time…and lives will continue to be spent until, either the king is revived, or the heirs run out. If that happens, then the prism will destabilize and the force of its destruction will destroy our worlds. You need to understand, the soul king's revival ritual is a love ritual that he shared with his most dear creation. Hajime was the beloved of the king, and so Reio placed the trust for their revival in the hands of Hajime's bloodline."

"Hmm, interesting. But, may I ask, what is in all of this for me? If I should help you to avoid dying and to revive the king, are you going to do more than just send me back to my cell in Muken to die?"

Byakuya nodded.

"The infusion of my body with your reiatsu would bind our souls together. As soul bonded, you and I would be married, and you would be freed and your powers fully restored. We would need to wear limiters in Soul Society, as our reiatsu could be damaging to this world, but we could stay here. Upon our deaths, we would be invited to join the souls of past kings and consorts within the king's prism. Our voices would then advise future incarnations of the king."

Aizen's smile returned and he was quiet for a moment.

"That is quite a different future than the one in front of me right now," he commented, "But, how do you feel about being soul bonded with a demon like me? You can't be happy about such a thing, can you? I thought you hated me."

"I despise what you did," Byakuya corrected him, "and I despise what you became. But, if you do this for Reio, for me and for our worlds, I can open my heart to spending my life finding the way to thank you properly for that."

"I think I might enjoy thinking of my own ways to make you pay that debt," Aizen chuckled, "Just be warned, Byakuya. If I sense any kind of trick, any attempt to use me and then shove me back in a cell or worse…then I will find a way to destroy you, and I will happily watch the worlds disappear!"

"I will not deceive you," Byakuya promised, "I give you my word now, that as you will give up your immortality, I will dedicate my life to protecting yours. I will give you a home and a family, Sousuke. I know…"

Byakuya paused, his head dipping as he went on.

"The king's prism informed me that your own family was taken from you, and that it was agents of Central 46 that did this. I do not know the whole story about how or when that happened, but I know it is the basis for your actions. You were not born a criminal, and you do not have to remain one. There is another path, if you wish to take it."

Byakuya made a sound of surprise as Aizen began to laugh softly.

"What is this?" he asked, frowning, "What are you doing, Sousuke?"

"I am laughing at the absurdity of all of this," he said, shaking his head, "The noble sages murdered my family. They stole my childhood. The noble houses are the reason that I betrayed everyone, and they are why, Byakuya, I do not trust _anyone_. Yet you, the leader of the greatest of the noble families, comes to me and asks me to trust him? You must have lost your mind! There is no way that I can trust you. You will take the hogyoku and kill me, yourself! And yes, I know you are that cold-hearted!"

"I want our worlds to survive!" Byakuya insisted, "Don't you? Isn't that what you said?"

"Yes, but I am not desperate enough to just take you at your word. So, if you want me to help you, then you need to give me a way to make sure that you don't use me and stab me in the back. I think that's fair, don't you?"

Byakuya took a steadying breath.

"I suppose that is an understandable request, given the circumstances," he answered, his voice shaking slightly, "The ones within the prism anticipated this, so I have been advised to offer you the following. It is not known outside the family, but all male descendants in Hajime's direct line are able to bear children."

Aizen huffed out another skeptical laugh.  
"I don't need a child."

Byakuya glared meaningfully at him.

"When a breeder male conceives a child, a spirit chamber forms in his body to hold the growing infant's reiatsu. The child remains in reiatsu form until birth, but requires constant infusions from the child's father to remain viable. I know that you do not value children, but as a member of the Kuchiki family, I am barred from allowing my offspring to die if there is a way to prevent it. I must and I will protect your life for the duration of the pregnancy, out of my respect for this law. You know that I value the law, and that I follow it, even if it is painful or difficult. I swear to you, if you help me, I will protect you, once you are vulnerable to death…and I will not be alone in that."

"Who else?" Aizen said guardedly, "Who will also be rebelling against Central 46?"

"My cousin and sister," Byakuya answered, "Renji, Urahara Kisuke…and Shiba Ichigo."

Aizen's smile widened and another laugh sounded from deep in his chest.

"I see," he said, narrowing his eyes, "Very well then. You have a deal."


End file.
